Self-closing inkstand



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LE ROY JONES CHERRINGTON, OF LOVVELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

SELF-CLOSING INKSTAND.

EPECIFICATIOI\T forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,165, datedDecember 31, 1889. Application filed May 16, 1889: l Serial No. 311,090.(No model.)

T0 all whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, LE ROY JONES CHER- RINGTON, of Lowell, in the couutyof Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Self-Closing Inkstands, of which the follbwing is aspccification.

My invention consists in providing an inkstand with a housing or boxingaround its dipping-orifice, and in hanging loosely in an inclinedposition within said housing a swinging cover, which swings inward andahead of an inwardly-approaching pen and closes by a gravity-weight;also, in providing a supple= mental hinged jaw or flap set in front ofsaid inclined cover, combining therewith and the aforesaid housing toform a complete covering to the dipping-Orifice; also, in connectingsaid cover and jaw so that they will open sim ultancously by pressure onsaid inclined cover, or by pressure on a specially-devised fingerpressure-lever attached to the said cover or jaw.

The construction and operation of my invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, of which Figure is a perspective view. Fig. 2 isa vertical sectional view on middle section from front to back, the rodR and crank O being introduced in broken lines to show the connectionbetween cover E and j aw J when open and shut.

Si1nilar letters refer to similar figures as follows:

A is the ink-vessel.

Bis the housing around the dlpping-orifice.

E is the inclined swinging cover; W, its gravlty closingweigh t.

J is the jaw Which tips forward and down by the Crank C, the lattermoving in connection with the weight lV through the connect ing-rod R,which is pivoted at each end to the crank C and weight XV, respectively.

IPare pivots at each end of the top of cover E and upon which it swings.To one of these pivots is attached the finger pressure lover D.

I-I p is the hinge-pin upon which the ;jaw J swings, to one end of whichpin the crank C is secured.

Q is a pen.

F, F and T are the fingers and thumb parts in both which would mostnaturally be used in operating my invention, and their connection withthe drawings readil'y show its modus opercmdi.

The parts shown in broken lines and a figure 2 added to their letter ofdesignation in dicate the position of said parts when the inkstand-coveris open.

The operation of my invention is fully described as follows: In thedirection that a pen-point would naturally move in its passage into theclipping-orifice the finger F is in a convenient position to touch andpress upon the 1ever D, while the forefinger F and the thumb T areholding the pen. lhe downward movement of the lever D, which is securedto the pvot P, causes the cover E to Swing on the pivots P P downwardand backward in the housing B. This movement raises the gravityclosing-weight W, which latter, being connected to the jaw-crank C bythe connecting-rod R, causes the jaw J to swing on the hinge-pin H poutward and downward, thus giving more room for the insertion andwithdrawal of the pen. On pressure being removed from the lever D,as thepen is being taken out the gravity olosing-weight V falls, and the coverE is thereby moved forward and upward to its closing position. At thesame time the jaw J swings upward and toward thef0ot of the cover E bythe same power of the weight V, thus closing the dipping-orifice. Thelever D may be secured to the hinge-pin H p with the same operativeeffect as if secured to pvot P.

The advantages of my invention are obvious in the case with which thecover can be opened by a perfectly natural movement of the hand and penand simultaneous pressure of the free finger as the pen goes toward andinto the clipping-orifice; also, in the great space aflorded for theinsertion and with drawal of the pen without interference with thecover; also, in the dippingorificc being always covered, e'xcepting whenthe pen is clipped, thus excluding dust and preventing evaporation ofthe ink.

I claim- 1. In an inkstand or bottle, a gravity closing-cover E, hung ata line above its horizontal center and swinging in a housing B above thelevel of the ink, said cover when closed having its up per surface as aninclined plane slant1ng upward and backward from the front,

its lower swinging part when opening swinging backward and downward awayfrom the point of an entering pen by pressure upon a fingerpressure-lever D, substantially as and for the purpose or purposesspecified.

2. In an inkstand or bottle, the combination of the housing B with thejaw J, the latter hinged below its middle horizontal line, and its upperpart swinging when opening forward and downward, and closed by agravity-weight in connection therewith.

3. In an nkstand or bottle, the combination of the housing B with thegravity closingcover E, operating in connection with the jaw J by agravity closing-weight W, substantially as described,and for the purposeor purposes specified.

4. In en inkstand or bottle, the cover E and jaw J, said cover and jawconnected together by the rod R and crank C, in co'mbination with thehousing B, and operating by pressure upon said cover, substantially asdescribed, and for the purpose or purposes specified.

'5. In an inkstand or bottle, the cover E, weight W, jaw J, rod R, andcrank C, in combination with the housing B, and operated by a fingerpressure-lever D, substantially as described, and for the purpose orpurposes specified.

6. A self-closing cover consisting of two parts E and J, set so as toopen from each other in the way described by a connect1ngrod R and crankC, combined with a housing B to complete the inclosure, substantially esshown and specified.

LE ROY JONES CIIERRINGION.

VVitnesses:

GEORGE W. COBURN, FRAN}K COBURN.

